2012 Prediction League; Game 6 v Dagenham and Redbridge (away)

Div3North · 11-09-2012, 21:19

Dagenham and Redbridge

V

Accrington Stanley

2012/13 Prediction League – Game 6; v Dagenham and Redbridge (away)

This week’s starter for 10 is a two-part question; fingers on buzzers (no conferring)

Name the only goalkeeper ever sent off in the FA Cup for an incident occurring in the other team’s penalty area (on 5th January 2008, when his side lost 5-2 to Southend)

Name the second-ever goalkeeper to score in an FA Cup tie from open play (v Basingstoke in the 4th Qualifying Round in 2001)

The answer to both parts – as you all knew – is Tony Roberts , who played over 500 games for the Daggers (although he’s now a coach at Arsenal), so if you answered “Tony Roberts and Tony Roberts” give yourselves a pat on the back and a badge that says “Clever Clogs” on it

; did you also know that Craig Anthony Robert Mackail-Smith (28), ex Posh, England C and Scotland (how do you manage to do that?

) and now Brighton striker started his career – if you don’t count 3 years at St Albans City and one at Arlesey Town – at the Daggers during their Conference days? He was there from 2004 to January 2007, scoring 38 in 106 …….Bet you didn’t!

Manager John Still succinctly but accurately summed up D & R's position: “We’ve had to make cutbacks this year …..”; left back Damien McCrory (22) was released, and signed for Burton; striker Gavin Tomlin (29) went to Southend, and fellow striker (didn’t know they had two, did you ………) Jon Nurse (31), who was previously at Stevenage, and who scored the winner in D & R’s 3-2 League 2 Playoff Final victory over Rotherham at the end of the 2009/10 season (which got them their (single season’s) promotion to League One) was also released after 5 years, during which he scored 28 times in 182 appearances, and signed for Barnet – which is like jumping off a very high cliff to avoid being knocked down by a runaway train, really

…….. Why was Martin Allen so keen to stay there? Finally – as a marker of his view of Dagenham’s prospects – defender Richard Rose (29), who joined last summer (2011) after five years at Hereford, had his contract terminated by mutual consent, and then signed for Dartford,

who are currently 10th in the BSP, and apparently have an “environmentally friendly” stadium called Princes Park; don’t ask, I’ve no idea ………

In came …………. not many people, really

; they signed 18 year old former Bournemouth GK Jordan Seabright (good name for someone from Bournemouth ……not!) on a free, and ex Gunners defender Gavin Hoyte (22), who only managed four appearances for Arsene in four years, and had loan spells at the Wombles, Watford, Brighton and Lincoln; back to John Still, on the subject of young Gavin:-

“He's come out of Arsenal, and come out with good habits”; well that’s good to know, John; and with nice table manners and clean fingernails as well, I hope ………..

He also said:-

“The thing that impressed us most of all is that he had four or five options and he chose Dagenham” …… Primark, Tesco, paper round, a milk round, Dagenham and Redbridge ……….…….. I wonder how many options UB40 McConville had?

If you can’t buy new, you maximize what you’ve got; goal scorers include Dwight Gayle (22), who won the Essex Senior League Golden Boot (I didn’t actually know they had one!

) with 57 goals in 2010-11 for Stansted, signed last summer, and spent last season on loan to Bishops Stortford, where he hit another 42 (oh for a striker who'd get us 99 goals in two seasons!

); Brian Woodall (24) who began with SC Herford in the Landesliga Westfalen Ost (“Uber hier, schnell, auf mein kopf!”

) where he was spotted by Hinckley Town (who obviously have a spectacularly good scouting network), then by Gresley Rovers (scoring 51 in 88) – joining Gresley FC when the Rovers folded; Josh Scott (27) signed from Hayes and Yeading in July 2009, and at the end of his first season hit 4 of their 6 in the Playoff First Leg when they spanked Morecambe (can you say that? Spanked?

) 6-0; and Micky Spillane, taking time off from writing detective novels, who played at Norwich, Luton (on loan) and Brentford before moving to the snappily-named “London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Stadium”.

They had an encouraging pre-season, winning 3-1 at Bowers and Pitsea, 5-0 at AFC Hornchurch, 4-1 at Gresley, 3-0 at Concorde Rangers and 3-1 at Isthmian League Premier Division side The Yellow Army (aka Canvey Island) so called, I assume, because their shirts are the colour of Bird’s Custard

; then they played the Big Boys – Gray’s Athletic – and lost that one 2-1. Into the new season they perhaps realized what might be facing them in the months to come; they went out of the CapOne Cup at home to Coventry, courtesy – if that’s the right description – of a 90th minute penalty by “veteran debutant”

(isn’t that a lovely phrase!) Kevin Kilbane, and the League has done them less than kindly – defeats by 2-0 at Cheltenham, 3-1 at Southend and 2-1 at home to Gillingham, and draws 0-0 at home to Plymouth and 2-2 at the Wombles leave them in 22nd place – home form P2 W0 D1 L1 F1 A2

, and away its P3 W0 D1 L2 F3 A7

, giving them, overall, P5 W0 D2 L3 F4 A9 and 2 points

, above only the Pirates (2 points and also a goal difference of -5) and a very hapless Barnet side (1 point from 5) - the Daggers staying out of the drop zone simply by virtue of goals scored - one more than Bristol; in fact their only win, to date, came in the Tinpot Trophy, when 3 in the first 35 mins helped them beat Stevenage 3-2

. 7 games; one win, two draws and four losses; scored 7, conceded 12; not thrilling ……………

Even stevens, historically, in the League; in 2007/8, their first season in the League, we won both games – 3-1 away and 1-0 at Fortress Crown; in 2008/9 we managed two goalless draws (although we’d have won at home if Proccie hadn’t gently rolled the last minute penalty to the aforementioned Tony Roberts, who fell on it gratefully, if heavily

); in 2009/10 – their promotion season - we lost both games, 1-0 at home and 3-1 away; last season we won very comfortably 3-0 at Fortress Crown (one for Craig, and two in two minutes for Padraig), but in late March we lost 2-1, conceding twice in the last 5 minutes after Bobby Iron- Dale-Grant had given us the lead; P8 W3 D2 L3 F9 A7. Fairly average, really; could do better.

As always the deadline for entries is scheduled kick-off time, which is 3pm on Saturday 15th September. We surely have to start as favourites here? 5th plays 22nd – these are the games we have to win, and win well, if we’re to be taken seriously and if Cashy and Wynonie are to cash in their bets and buy us all a pint at the end of the season

; we can do it to the good sides; can we do it to the - perhaps - marginally less talented? Of course we can; keep the faith!

Good luck to everyone ………… and thanks for playing!